intrinsic

American  

[in-trin-sik, -zik] / ɪnˈtrɪn sɪk, -zɪk /

adjective

1. belonging to a thing by its very nature.

   the intrinsic value of a gold ring.

   Synonyms:

   true, natural, innate, native

   Antonyms:

   extrinsic

2. Anatomy. (of certain muscles, nerves, etc.) belonging to or lying within a given part.

---

intrinsic British  

/ ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent

2. anatomy situated within or peculiar to a part

   intrinsic muscles

---

Related Words

See essential.

Other Word Forms

• intrinsically adverb

Etymology

Origin of intrinsic

First recorded in 1480–90; Middle English intrinsique “inner,” from Old French intrinseque “internal, inner,” from Late Latin intrinsecus “inward” (adjective), from Latin intrinsecus “on the inside, inwards” (adverb), equivalent to intrin- (from int(e)r-, as in interior + -im, an old accusative ending used as an adverb suffix + secus “beside,” derivative of sequī “to follow”)

Compare meaning

How does intrinsic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inherent vs. intrinsic

Explanation

The intrinsic qualities of something have to do with its nature. An intrinsic quality of dogs is that they're loyal. Anything intrinsic comes from within. Doing a job for only money is not intrinsic. Doing a job because you love it is intrinsic; the motivation comes from within. It's good to treat people as having intrinsic value. If you like someone for intrinsic reasons, then you have no other motivation. The opposite of intrinsic is extrinsic, for things that come from the outside instead of from the inside.

Example Sentences

There are personality differences, disagreement with book choices, intrinsic ways of seeing the world that can occasionally come to a head in a book club.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The findings, published in Nature Communications, show that measuring the OAM of two entangled photons reveals an intrinsic topology, a fundamental feature of the entanglement itself.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

Luria thinks all that is piquing the curiosity of value investors, who buy stocks they believe are trading at a discount to their intrinsic worth.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

The economic consequences are not an accidental byproduct of this conflict, they are an intrinsic aspect of the war.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

An intrinsic part of this story would be to describe how these cells, originally obtained from Henrietta Lakes, are being grown and used for the benefit of mankind.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• deep-seated
• elemental
• inherent
• innate
• peculiar
• underlying